Slovenia is a country that fascinated us a lot; it is small but has plenty of attractions for the whole family. It is an ideal destination for families with children as we found nature walks accessible even to young children, cleanliness and kindness everywhere, and most importantly, you do not have to drive long distances between stops, and this is important when you have to account for with children.
Below you will find the best attractions and our tips for planning a trip to Slovenia with children.
Slovenia with kids: 8-day itinerary. Informations
Currency – Euro.
Documents – ID card valid for expatriation or passport for EU and Swiss citizens.
Toll payment – Those entering Slovenia must compulsorily have a vignette, which can be purchased via the Internet, from the DarsGo service or at authorized sales outlets.
The electronic vignette must be paid for before entering the highway or freeway. We purchased it online at the official website.
When purchasing it, you need to enter your vehicle’s license plate number and country of registration. It costs 15 euros per car and lasts for one week.
If you plan to stay more than two weeks, it is better to purchase the monthly (30euros). Be careful because the penalties for driving without a vignette are steep, ranging from 300 to 800 euros.
Our itinerary in Slovenia
Our trip started from Genoa and lasted a total of 15 days, 8 days of which we spent touring Slovenia and the other 7 days touring Hungary (if you are interested in watching our trip to Hungary – click here).
To break up the outward journey, we decided to stay overnight in Monteforte d’Alpone at a beautiful family B&B nestled in the vineyards (Corte Ohana – click here).
We grinded a lot of miles by car but the girls didn’t mind because we tried to structure the day according to their habits.
As usual, we designed and implemented the vacation on our own, without the help of agencies. We found the Lonely Planet guidebook on Slovenia really little comprehensive. A lot of information that was useful for creating our itinerary, we found on the official portal.
When we set out on this adventure, our little girls were just under 1 and 3 years old; the little one was always in her backpack or baby carrier (e.g. at the Postojna Caves). The “big one,” on the other hand, has always walked on her own two feet.
Slovenia with kids: 8-day itinerary. Where to sleep
Having small children for convenience we always booked in apartments so that we could prepare our own dinner and also recreate a little bit of the home environment.
Our accommodations have almost always been apartments (with their own entrance and proper privacy) in local people’s cottages, equipped with everything that can be needed in general and also for a family with children such as crib with bars, high chair, etc. (best to ask at the time of booking anyway).
What to see in Slovenia with children
❒ Tolmin
Tolmin is a small town in the Soca Valley; it is full of natural attractions and hosts several metal, punk rock and reggae music festivals in July and August so we recommend booking as early as possible because prices can skyrocket.
We really liked Tolmin and stayed there for 2 nights. We stayed at Mobile House KD: it is a typical cottage surrounded by greenery, equipped with two or three bedrooms (free crib available), kitchenette, patio and a children’s playground – Book here.
➽ Tolmin Gorges
The Tolmino Gorges are the lowest and probably the most beautiful entry point into the Triglav National Park.
Their formation is due to the erosive action of two streams, the Tolminka and the Zadlaščica, which have carved these very deep gorges over the years. Continue reading…
➽ Kozlov Rob – Tolmin Castle
The Kozlov rob, called “Grad” (castle) by locals, is a fortress located above the town of Tolmin. Ruins of the castle now remain, although over the years it has been partly restored.
You can leave your car at PARK P2 from where several paths branch off and then join the main trail.
It is an easy trail, marked by several information panels, that runs for 2 km; it took us about an hour to reach the top and from there we were able to enjoy an unparalleled view of Tolmin.
We really enjoyed this hike because it remains somewhat off the beaten path and the only hikers we encountered were Slovenian guys jogging.
➽ Confluence of the Soča and Tolminka rivers.
The confluence of Tolminka and Soca is about 100 meters from the town of Tolmin.
You get there by crossing a small footbridge, and the water is crystal clear.
It is a great place to refresh the little feet of our little walkers. Be careful though, the water is freezing cold! There is a small bar and also toilets.
In summer it is a very crowded place that becomes impassable if a festival is present.
❒ Slovenia with kids: 8-day itinerary. Mostnica Gorge
We thoroughly enjoyed this hike in the Triglav National Park.
The ‘whole trail is about 12 km long and has an elevation gain of about 300 meters. Continue reading…
❒ Lake Bled
Bled is Slovenia’s most famous resort because of its wonderful lake with emerald-colored waters.
The lake is truly breathtakingly beautiful, and the walk around its perimeter (the path is about 6 km long) is especially beautiful.
It can be done easily with a stroller because it is flat and almost all paved.
Stunning, on the other hand, is the trek to Ojstrica. Continue reading…
❒ Velika Planina
Velika Planina is a plateau in Slovenia where there is one of the largest surviving high mountain shepherd villages in Europe.
Such a village has the peculiarity of having wooden cottages with characteristic pointed fir roofs, which give the visitor the idea of entering a fairy tale. Continue reading…
❒ Slovenia with kids: 8-day itinerary. Ptuj and the Wine Route
Ptuj is Slovenia’s oldest town, nestled between wine-growing hills and the Drava River. It has a beautiful Gothic old town with cobblestone streets and a whitewashed castle whose view of Ptuj’s red rooftops is unparalleled.
The Jeruzalem-Ljutomer wine road begins 23 km east of Ptuj in Ormoz and continues north for 18 km to Ljutomer, passing through the charming village of Jeruzalem. Continue reading…
❒ Slovenia with kids: 8-day itinerary. Jelovo and the garden dwarfs
If you go to Slovenia with children, you can’t miss a visit to the village of Jelovo, a tiny village perched in the hills: it’s called Dežela palčkov and it’s the home of garden dwarfs! Continue reading…
❒ Postojna Cave
Postojna Cave is the only karst cave with a railroad inside the cave, built over 140 years ago.
We were hesitant whether to include this visit in our itinerary as the girls were still very young, but the ride on the little train was really very accommodating and they ended up having a great time so we recommend this excursion to all families with children.
Interested in an organized tour? Click on the banners 👇👇👇
Warnings
Several grocery stores around Slovenia still sell UNPASTEURIZED raw milk in sealed bottles like the ones you buy in our supermarkets.
If you happen to be in a grocery store, always ask (or translate with your phone) if it is pasteurized milk because, especially in children under 2 years old, contaminated milk can be very dangerous. We went through a bad quarter of an hour although then fortunately it all worked out for the best.
When in doubt (not all Slovenians speak English) always boil it!
Slovenia with kids: 8-day itinerary. Conclusions
If you are considering a destination suitable for the whole family, we suggest you consider Slovenia as it is a child-friendly country, there is a lot of beautiful nature with trails suitable for everyone, there is good food, it is not an overpriced destination (although it is not as cheap as we would have expected but with the growth of tourism of course Prices have risen), Slovenians are very welcoming, finally there are many playgrounds for your children!
Are you interested in buying a travel guide to Slovenia? Click on the link!
Lonely Planet slovenia
